32. Memories

Hana sprinted through the swaying train cars, her heart pounding in rhythm with the clattering of wheels below.

"Inosuke! Where are you?!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the wind.

"Shut up or I'll kill you!" came the familiar roar, loud, wild, unmistakably Inosuke's, from above.

"Up there...?" she muttered, eyes darting to the roof.

Before she could call again, his gruff voice rang out between the gusts.
"That guy with the googly eyes ordered me around! But somehow... somehow he's awesome! I'm so pissed!"

The metal creaked beneath her boots as she steadied her stance against the rushing air. Is Inosuke above the front cars? Then I have to catch up! she thought, breaking into a sprint.

"Inosuke! Keep your eyes on the first three cars ahead!" she yelled.

"I know! And I already found the weak spot!" he shouted back from somewhere ahead. "With all my Seventh Form."

"So it's in the front, after all?" Hana called.

"That's right! Just right ahead!"

The wind howled violently, nearly throwing her off balance.

Because of the strong wind, the demon's scent is completely gone... I can't even sense it properly. But if Inosuke found it, there's no doubt.

"It's near the coal loader, right?" she asked.

"That's right!"

"Understood!" she replied.

Tanjiro and Rengoku-san are protecting the rear cars... Inosuke found the weak spot... Zenitsu and Nezuko are fighting too... I have to be useful. I have to do something.

She reached the end of the carriage, yanking the connecting door open. The metal ladder leading upward clanged under her grip as she hauled herself up.

Just as she climbed over to the roof of the train, two metal boards shot toward her. Her eyes widened. She barely twisted in time, the pieces whooshed past, missing her by inches.

"Inosuke!" Hana called.

However, the boar-headed boy was too busy dealing with the man in charge of the locomotive. Inosuke pointed one of his dual blades at him.

"Fishy... very fishy!" he declared. "Especially around here-"

The man sweated nervously. "What are you talking about? What do you want with me?" He swung his arms frantically, backing away. "G-g-get out! Get away!"

Inosuke's stance didn't waver, his grip on his dual blades steady. "The demon's neck..." he whispered, then his voice surged. "The demon... the demon's critical spot!"

The demonic flesh shrouding the locomotive writhed, forming grotesque, human-like arms. Suddenly, dozens of them lunged toward Inosuke.

He managed to slice through several, a few, to be precise. However, he wasn't fast enough, and the arms began restraining him one by one. They first latched onto his right foot, then his right arm, slowly encapsulating him and preventing him from wielding his swords properly.

Inosuke grunted, struggling to free himself, but it only made it worse as more flesh slithered toward his left hand.

"Too many hands," he grunted.

And again, one of the skin-peeled arms shoved itself onto his mouth, muffling his words.

Hana's eyes narrowed. "Hold on, Inosuke!"

She surged forward, closing the distance, leaping into the air with her blade raised.

"Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool!"

Before they could react further, the arms closed in. Hana slashed through several of them, but more kept coming, wrapping around Inosuke's limbs. One by one, the hands began restraining him, from his right foot, then his right arm, tightening until he couldn't wield his swords freely.

Her body twisted violently, upper and lower halves rotating in opposing directions. Crashing waves of steel sliced through the demon's mutated arms, freeing Inosuke in an instant.

When Hana landed inside the roofless locomotive, a deafening screech ripped through the air, making the train tremble. She gritted her teeth, covering her ears until the sound subsided, then turned to Inosuke, now free.

"Inosuke, are you okay?"

The boar-headed boy nodded slightly. "Yeah...!" He stared at her, unwilling to admit his gratitude.

Hana pressed her lips into a soft smile. "Great."

She bent down on one knee, placing a hand on the metal floor. "Is this it...?" she muttered, sweat trickling down her forehead. Down below, directly beneath them, the demon's scent was strong.

She snapped her head toward Inosuke. "Inosuke! The demon's neck is right under here!"

A playful grin spread across his face. "Heh, alright, Savanna! Let's do this."

Hana ignored the name he called her.

"Beast Breathing, Second Fang: Rip and Tear!"

He flipped his blades into an 'X' mid-air, then brought them together, creating a gust that forced Hana and the train driver to shield their faces. Inosuke landed with a fierce cross-motion, slicing diagonally in opposing angles. Hana mirrored his motion, blades slashing with precision.

A cloud of dust billowed, obscuring their vision.

When it cleared, Hana's eyes widened. Her stomach churned. Are these the bones of the demon's neck?

The demolished metal floor revealed the nape. The bones resembled human skulls patched together, irregular and massive. Flesh still coated the outer layer, pulsing faintly with demonic life.

Hana lifted her blade, summoning the fury of a waterfall guiding her downward slash. Her attack crashed with tremendous force, but instead of piercing the bone, her blade met thick flesh. Blocked? she thought, eyes widening.

The bones of the demon's nape suddenly covered themselves with more flesh, strengthening its defense. Every strike she made was met with resistant, writhing meaty sprouts projecting in every direction.

Gritting her teeth, Hana grabbed the railroad engineer and dragged him to safety. Leaping back onto the roof behind the locomotive, she readied herself again. Inosuke did the same, landing opposite her.

The train trembled as the flesh hollowed out and reconnected itself to the locomotive, forming a bowl-like shape.

The incision healed that fast... I need to cut it off, Hana thought, wind tugging at her burgundy hair.

"Inosuke! Inosuke, let's synchronize our breathing and attack together!" she said.

Hana tightened her grip on her blade. "Inosuke... we take it together. One cuts the flesh, the other strikes the bone."

The boar-headed boy nodded. Normally, he disliked taking orders from others, but he listened to Hana without any questions.

---

When Hana was about to charge, a blob of flesh covered in eyeballs emerged before her. She flinched as bright, vile blue eyes stared back, a crimson light flashing in her vision. Blood Demon Art... she realized, her body beginning to falter. No! I can't fall asleep!

"Inosuke, cut your own neck in your dream to wake up!" she warned.

Time slowed. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, body swaying. She darted awake, stepping onto scattered coal. If I can beat him with this trick, I can defeat him!

Completely forgetting the demon's eye still faced her, fatigue washed over again. Close your eyes immediately after waking... otherwise, you'll start over! she scolded herself, stabbing in the dream realm. She woke instantly, breathing a sigh of relief, glancing away from the demon's gaze.

She dashed forward, leaping toward the locomotive, entranced again as she landed, crumbling to her knees.

The moment I wake up, the demon's eyes will be waiting! Keep your own eyes closed! she reminded herself, stabbing the neck in the dream.

Just as the demon's eye formed, Inosuke slashed through it, forcing Hana to duck and shake awake.

"This isn't a dream! Wake up! Don't be fooled! Don't die in vain!" he yelled.

Hana breathed shakily, taking stock. Inosuke's boar hide helps him resist the Blood Demon Art, but it's dangerous... I need to keep alert.

Suddenly, a new smell hit her. The railroad engineer was heading toward them with a sharp object. Panic surged. "Inosuke! Watch out!" she yelled, raising a hand to halt him.

Time slowed again. The man shouted, "Don't get in the way of my dream!"

In the last moment before Inosuke would be pierced, Hana threw herself forward, taking the hit. Pain seared through her body as she punched the driver. The train driver collapsed unconscious.

Inosuke's eyes widened. "H-he stabbed you? Are you okay?"

Hana groaned, clutching her wound, one eye closing instinctively. She bent down, dragging the fainted engineer to safety.

Inosuke blinked, bewildered. "Why bother? He hurt you!"

"No, we can't let him die," Hana replied firmly. Pain shot through her, but determination flared.

Inosuke clicked his tongue, slicing another eyeball. "If we don't cut this demon's head soon, they won't be able to make it!"

Hana glanced at him, nodding. "I know. Move fast."

The platform shook. Flesh began weaving together, forming four massive pillars with wriggling fingers flinging toward them. Hana and Inosuke dodged, striking continuously.

She landed momentarily to catch her breath, her wound throbbing. "Inosuke! Let's synchronize our breathing! We'll cut the demon's neck together!"

He took the hint, continuing his relentless assault. Hana straightened, returning to the fight.

They evaded attacks, performing synchronized techniques, retreating for a second to the remaining roofs. The flesh swayed, thickening, smashing toward them. They leapt, using the demon's limbs as platforms, slashing downward like a flight of stairs.

Cerulean eyes emerged abruptly. Hana panicked, trying to shut her eyelids. If I fall asleep now...

"Damn you!" Inosuke slashed them, spraying blood, and used the limbs to spring left and right. He rotated his dual blades, diving down, sticking them into the flesh, gliding back to the ground. "Come on, follow me!"

"Watch my back!" he shouted.

He free-fell again in a diving position, yelling, "Beast Breathing, Fourth Fang: Slice and Dice!"

The demon reformed, flesh twisting into pillars with wriggling fingers. They dodged, attacked, and leapt, performing synchronized techniques, slashing the arms as stairs to strike the nape.

However much they attacked, it was no use. They were not able to defeat the demon.

Both were extremely tired, could almost fall helpless. Hana looked around. Inosuke was breathing heavily; she could see he was tired, even though he didn't show it.

She almost felt helpless until-

Hana froze, memories flashing before her-

Three children laughed and danced. Their father watched, smiling warmly.

Hana... Tanjiro... breathe... get your breathing under control... become Hinokami.

Winter snow, torchlight forming a circle around a man in a black haori with red and orange linings.

"Hana, Tanjiro, look! Dad is performing the Kagura dance. Our family works with fire to protect us from injuries and disasters. During the New Year, we dance to the God of Fire to pray for peace," their mother told them.

"Mama..." Hana asked as her mother looked at her softly. Tanjiro looked at them curiously.

"Hm?" her mother looked at her softly.

"How can Father dance like that in the snow for so long when he's so frail? I bet my lungs would freeze," she asked, feeling extremely worried.

"Because I have a certain way of breathing. A way to breathe so that you won't exhaust yourself," their father said with a gentle voice, while in their bedroom, as the sky was perfectly seen from the door.

"Breath?" Tanjiro asked.

"Yes. If you can master the correct way to breathe, you'll be able to dance forever too, without thinking of the cold."

"Wow..." Tanjiro exclaimed.

"Hana, Tanjiro, the earrings and the Kagura are our family heirlooms. They must be passed from generation to generation..." he trailed off.

This is our promise.

Little Hana saw how lovingly Tanjiro looked at the earrings with adoration... she smiled at her younger brother, gently ruffling his hair.

Breathe correctly... and you can dance forever...

Hana's eyes snapped open. Fire erupted from her sword, blazing along the blade.

"Dance of the Fire God: Clear Blue Sky!"

Her body spun, a vertical slash crashing into the demon's nape. Flames roared, expanding bright and crimson consuming the target in a blazing wheel of fire.

Her body turned horizontally, delivering a full, powerful slash of her blade. So powerful that it slashed the demon's neck and anything under it.